UNI to open Battle 4 Atlantis against SMU

Northern Iowa head coach Ben Jacobson huddles with his team during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Xavier, Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016, in Cincinnati.(Photo: Gary Landers, Associated Press)

Northern Iowa will face Southern Methodist to open the 2017 Battle 4 Atlantis tournament in the Bahamas, the school announced Monday. The tournament begins on Nov. 22, and the Panthers’ matchup will be the final of four that day, tipping off at 8:30 p.m. CT.

UNI-SMU is paired with the North Carolina State-Arizona game, and the winners and losers of each will face off the following day, Nov. 23. The top half of the bracket pairs Villanova against Western Kentucky and Purdue against Tennessee.

The Mustangs went 30-5 and five last season and earned a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament, ultimately falling to USC in the opening round.

The addition of SMU to UNI’s schedule means the Panthers will face at least four 2017 NCAA Tournament teams in nonconference play, along with defending national champion North Carolina (Nov. 10), Iowa State (Dec. 16) and Xavier (Dec. 22).

Dargan Southard covers preps, recruiting, Iowa and UNI athletics for the Iowa City Press-Citizen, The Des Moines Register and HawkCentral.com. Email him at msouthard@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter at @Dargan_Southard.